Maryland Democrats Regrouping After Loss in Governor Race

Maryland Democrats, looking to rebound from the upset victory of Republican Larry Hogan over Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, are debating whether to treat the loss as a brief hiccup in the blue state’s politics or as a sign of more serious voter discontent. Recent meetings on county, state and the federal level in Maryland have taken place since the November election- with many in the party feeling that the Brown loss was caused by a “perfect storm” of factors, such as a weak Democratic candidate, frustration over Gov. Martin O’Malley’s performance and a general negative attitude toward the state. They don’t foresee a similar storm in the future. Delegate Heather Mizuer, who ran a progressive campaign in the gubanatorial primary, tells WCBC News that the party can learn from the significant losses incurred- but true change has to come at the grass roots level, not so much from the entrenched democratic leadership in place